EP34: Col (ret) Keith Balts, PhD, speaks about leadership

Col (ret) Keith Balts, PhD, is the Director of the Leadership Signature Program and Kramer Family Leadership Faculty Fellow at Clemson University. Educational BackgroundPh.D. Engineering and Science EducationClemson University 2024Master of National Security and Strategic StudiesNaval War College 2010Master of Arts in Military Operational Arts and ScienceAir Command and Staff College 2005B.S. MathematicsUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison 1992Keith Balts, Colonel (Retired), USAF, earned his Ph.D. in Engineering and Science Education at Clemson University in 2024. He is a professor of practice and currently serves as the Director of the Leadership Signature Program and Kramer Family Leadership Faculty Fellow in the Wilbur O. and Ann Powers College of Business at Clemson University. Prior to his current position, he served as the commander of Clemson’s Air Force ROTC detachment, dual-hatted as the department chair for aerospace studies. He served for twenty-eight years as an Air Force space operations officer after earning a B.S. degree in Mathematics from the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He has deployed four times to southwest Asia and has served as a squadron commander, vice wing commander, wing commander, inspector general, and the Director of Space Forces for the Middle East region. Keith has also earned a Master of Engineering degree in Space Operations from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and two additional master’s degrees related to national security and leadership from Air University and the Naval War College. He is also graduate of the United States Air Force Weapons School.His volunteer service includes Chair responsibilities for two University military-connected alumni clubs and two local Scouting-related committees. He also served as the Vice Chair for the three-county Scout District Committee in the upstate.

In this episode:

Conversation Timeline – Space Power Podcast w/ Col. (Dr.)Keith Balts

00:00 – 05:00
Introductions, background, Montana life, Clemson culture, and militaryappreciation events.

05:00 – 12:00
ROTC origins, Air Force commissioning, early expectations, and the chaoticearly years of space operations.

12:00 – 20:00
Transition from “supporting” to “supported” space missions; building a warriorethos in space.

20:00 – 30:00
Launch operations at Vandenberg, X‑37 landings, Falcon 9’s early days, andhigh-pressure mission stories.

30:00 – 40:00
Deployments, combat integration, CSAR rescues, Silent Sentry SATCOM protection,and the importance of space in the minimum force package.

40:00 – 50:00
Operation Burnt Frost—classification challenges, radar adaptation,organizational lessons.

50:00 – 70:00
Doctoral research: what predicts early career success, data challenges,insights on STEM vs non‑STEM performance.

70:00 – 85:00
Recommendations for Space Force recruiting, selection, training, and leadershipdevelopment.

85:00 – End
Academia vs military culture, experiential learning, AI’s impact on the next generation, and universal leadership principles.